You may not pay as much attention to your roof as you do to the rest of your home, but if you live in South Florida, a water tight property is as essential as an emergency generator and supplies of bottled water. In the US, water damage to homes costs the insurance companies an estimated $2.5 billion each year, and almost 40 percent of homeowners will file a claim for loss or damage from leaking water every year. And water leaking through your roof can be costly; the average cost to a homeowner coping with damage from water in the home is almost $7,000 each year, although it can also be a lot more than that.

South Florida may enjoy a pleasant year round climate and the weather may be one of the reasons you moved here in the first place. But of course, it does rain here and the average annual rainfall in Pompano Beach is around 60 inches per year. Some other cities in south Florida receive more rain than that in a typical year. It doesn’t take much rainfall to seep through the roof, damage your furnishings and belongings and becoming a potential safety hazard, when it comes to your home’s electrical system. Once water starts to leak through your roof, there is little you can do to stop it, and many homeowners end up learning the hard way that waterproof roofing is a must for South Florida residents.

As anyone in South Florida knows only too well, the threat of hurricanes is very real. The 2017 hurricane season is already off to a bad start, as Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms ever, swept through the state, causing billions of dollars in damage, as well as several fatalities. At one point, all the counties in Florida were under a state of emergency, and mandatory evacuation orders were in place for thousands of residents. Long lines of cars on the highway as residents tried to evacuate became familiar images on the TV screen during those few days in September, along with sailboats on the street, damaged buildings, trees blown down and widespread flooding due to rain and storm surges. And if you live in South Florida, the chances of experiencing a hurricane are high – since the National Weather Service started to keep records, well over 100 hurricanes of varying strength have battered the state, and in a typical year South Florida residents can expect to experience at least two hurricanes. Many residents still remember the four hurricanes that hit the state in 2005.

The constant threat of a hurricane means making sure that you have waterproof roofing is an absolute must. A roof that has been thoroughly coated with a monolithic film like our PolyGlycoat System, means that you won’t experience any leaks or dripping water, even during the heaviest rain. Keep in mind that during a hurricane, your roof is one of the most vulnerable areas of your home, and if you don’t have waterproof roofing on your home, it doesn’t take much for the damage to your home and belongings to be catastrophic. A waterproof roof on your home increases your chances of being able to ride out the hurricane safely and comfortably without having to leave your home, and of course, the cost of waterproofing your home can be saved many times over during the course of a few years. It’s easy to put waterproof roofing on your list of things to get to when you have the time, but as pictures of the devastation caused by Irma show, it shouldn’t be put off.